Johnny

Little Johnny pushed up his overly big glasses that hung on his face. This boy was only six years old. He has some trouble with words, shapes, colors, numbers and letters like normal six-year-old children. He had parents that constantly fought, and a sister that acts like a mother toward him. Little Johnny has never told a lie in his lifetime, he is the most truthful child you would ever meet.

One day Johnny was walking home, bag on back, and smile on face. His eyes shone with pure happiness, wonderment; the world was his canvass, and he was going to paint it with his harbored happiness. He walked into his home, and his smile instantly faded. His young puppy, Maple, came up to him greeting him with her slobber. Screams and yelling erupted from upstairs, nearly making the young boy jump.

“Liar!” his mom screamed, sending shivers down his young spine. “I saw you!” A loud crash followed, then the painful silence of a heavy storm. Johnny picked up his pup and started up the stair. “Mommy? Daddy?” the boy called out, as he reached the top step.

“Yes?” she asked a bit of anger and frustration harbored in her voice.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he reached his parents’ bedroom, where the fighting had taken place. Seeing his mother, the boy blinked her blond hair spilled all around her face, it was messy and not put together. His father was breathing heavily, his blue eyes shining with anger; at his feet was a broken vase.

“Hunny, everything is alright,” his mother replied sending a small fake smile toward him, earning a loud huff from his father.

“He should know. Since you think you’re so right, why you don’t just tell him?” his father spat at his mother. The boy looked at the two, he knew they were fighting, but he didn’t know what about. Interest sparked his tiny mind as Maple squirmed in his small arms.

“No he shouldn’t! He’s only six, and I don’t want to worry him. In addition, I know I’m right, I saw you with my very own two eyes.” His mother yelled back, the two of them spat comments at each other. The boy simply walked out of the room, his pup in arms, to his own room which was down the hall from his parents.

When he enter the room he set Maple on his bed, the pup looked at him for a minute before sitting. Johnny laid down on his bed; his puppy quickly got off her rump and ran up the length of the bed to snuggle into the boy’s face. The boy petted his pup, trying to clear his mind and heart of bad events. He closed his eyes, waiting. Waiting for his elder sister to get home, waiting for his parents to get past their difference and stop this needless fighting.

He held back tears as he pushed his face into the soft fur of Maple, smearing his glasses in the process. “Why is it that mommy and daddy always fight?” he thought allowed. He picked his face up and stared at his little dog, he let out a small laugh as the dog began licking his face. The two sat listening to the screams and protest from his parents, then a door slam was heard, and silence filled the house.

Johnny listened for more, but came up short, as silence was the only thing audible. The boy laid his head down on his pillow, sleep overpowering him. His eye closed slowly as he drifted to a dreamless sleep.

Just as the boy fell into a comforting, and much ended nap, a knock was heard at the door. “Johnny?” a kind, female voice called out as the door slowly opened.

“Huh?” he asked pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes before putting them on again. He looked at the new arrival with a questioning gaze. “Annabelle is that you?” he asked peering into the darkening room.

“Yes, it’s me. Did I wake you Johnny?” Annabelle asked, flipping on a light. She walked over as the boy blinked into the new, bothersome light. Her eyes filled with worry when she reached him. Johnny nodded, looking up at his elder sister, “Did you have a good day Johnny?”

Annabelle wrapped an arm around her younger sibling drawing him to her. “It was good.” The boy replied after a good minute of thought.

“What did you do at school?” Annabelle quizzed, staring at her young brother.

“We didn’t do much,” the young lad replied. Johnny looked out the window beside his bed and yawned, the trees hid in the darkness, the stars shone with the moon, lighting the sky so you could see shadows. “What time is it?”

“Seven-o-clock, dinner is ready,” Annabelle stated, remembering why she came to her brother’s room. The boy nodded as he tiredly got up and walked out the door, down the hall, and down the large stairs. As he walked, he looked at the large chandler that hung above the room the stairs led into. He sniffed the air, the smell of cornbread wafted into his nose, making his mouth water. Walking into the kitchen, the smell intensified, he looked around for the source and sure enough fresh corn bread cooled on the table.

His sister came behind him, “looks like mom made your favorite meal.” She stated, eyeing the Shepard’s pie that sat next to the corn bread and green beans.

“Why good evening sleepy head.” His mother sang with false happiness. The boy nodded and smiled, he played along with his mother act, for her knew she was truly upset.